Hip arthroscopy is a common procedure for diagnosing and/or treating various hip conditions. Both supine and lateral approaches have been used in such a procedure. When performing such a procedure on a fracture table, complications can often occur, such as peroneal maceration and pudenal nerve palsy secondary to prolonged traction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,562 to Miller et al. discloses a perineal pad for a patient undergoing surgical procedures using manipulation or traction of the patient's lower extremities.
Devices for hip protection and stabilization are described, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,641 to Strock, as a protective appliance having an annular pad made of a resilient material. Adhesive strips are provided on one surface of the pad to secure the pad to the skin. The protective appliance also has a rigid dome-shaped shield carried in opposed pockets formed on the outer surface of the pad. Another known device for hip stabilization is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,920 to Sikes, which discloses a rigid outer shell and a cushioned pad on the inner surface of the shell. The cushioned pad is placed next to the joint area to be protected.
Body padding devices are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,850 to Rule discloses body protective pads that have an undersurface facing the body and a scored top surface in the pad to conform to the body area. In addition, U.S. Design Pat. No. 347,103 to Berry discloses another device for hip padding, which consists of a pad used externally to provide a cushioning effect to the hip region.